177 
bee: with grafted Cacao and pointed out the advantages which 
ight be cing were from the adoption of this method on a large 
seale, (See p. 
Professor lasticn exhibited a series of beautifully executed 
water-colour drawings by Miss van Nooten of the pods of the 
different varieties of Cacao from trees cultivated by the 
Department of Science and Agriculture, British Guiana, which are 
to be presented to the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, and will form 
a valuable addition to the standard spe of illustrations of the 
different types of Cacao in cultivatio 
Some interesting Cacao pods of the Forastero type were shown 
at the Agricultural Show by Mr. R. S. Reid of King’s Bay, 
Tobago, and have since been presented by him to Kew. They 
were obtained from plants raised from the seeds of trees over 
200 years old still growing in Tobago which were probably planted 
by Dutch settlers. Mr. Reid writes of the finding of the trees as 
ollows : 
“In 1906 I went with a native as guide up the Louis D’or River 
two miles from King’s Bay, Tobago), for about three miles and 
then scrambled up a tributary ravine until the ‘ Woods Cacao’ (as 
the rg call it), was reached. There were about a dozen trees 
in a clump, surrounded by forest trees, from 50 to 100 feet in 
height and the Cacao trees appeared like huge palms with a crest 
of branches at the top. Seeds had dropped and the young 
seedlings were like fishing rods from 40 to 50 feet long, bare but 
for a few leaves on top, A few pods were on the trees—perhaps 
pods. Three of these were sent to the late Mr. I. G. Haynes, 
St. Clair Avenue, and from bamboo cups he transplanted a number 
of the plants in his garden and it was from these trees that the pods 
on the Tobago Planters’ Association Stand_at the Exhibition, were 
gathered.” 
During the Conference week I visited the Government River 
Estate with Professor Carmody, Dr. eg and others, and went 
through the extensive Cacao plantation 
Experiments are being conducted "e to the value of “ Shade” 
and “No shade,” and in some cases the treatment seems rather 
drastic as the Immortelles, which had been planted fairly thickly 
and had formed a regular canopy over the Cacao, had all been 
vonseved at once with the result that in such cases the bushes had 
suffered to a considerable extent. Gradual removal of shade 
does not seem to be attended with harmful results, and if lines of 
these trees could be left at frequent intervals to act as wind breaks 
it might be found that the rest of the shade could be dispensed with 
to advantage. 
On Lord Glenconner’ ‘ estate at Ortinola which I had the good 
fortune to visit under the guidance of Mr. W. J. Bain, I noticea 
comparatively little sine but such shade trees as were grown were 
lopped freely for mulch. A free growing i rm tree without 
prickles on the stem would be the most useful kin tree for the 
purpose of affording partial shade as well as ‘tik r providing 
mulch, The River Estate plantations are mainly on flat or gently 
23773 B 
